Nucleus A ARC Port Forwarding Error with BT/EE Router (ref#1MWROO)

[Julie_Meikle]

Network Setup

· My only router was provided by my ISP

ARC Status

· ARC is *Not Ready*

Roon Error Code

· None of these are listed. It simply says "TIMEDOUT" or similar.

System or third-party *firewalls *or *antivirus software* can sometimes block RoonServer from reaching ARC.

·
Try adding RoonServer and its associated processes to the whitelist of any firewalls or antivirus software you have installed, including the Windows system firewall, if applicable.
[You can learn more about firewall exceptions with Roon here.](https://help.roonlabs.com/portal/en/kb/articles/firewall)

Has the status in Roon -> Settings -> ARC changed after adding exceptions in your firewalls and antivirus software for Roon?
ARC is still *Not Ready*

Don't give up yet.

· I'm stuck. I'd like to create a post to ask Roon Community for help.

Describe the issue

Arc Port Forwarding error message. I just don't understand any of it! Using Nucleus A. BT/EE router. Works well in home, but no access outside. I believe Tailscale will not work with Nucleus A

Describe your network setup

BT Broadband with BT/EE router. Nucleus A linked to router via ethernet. Mac OS Sequia 15.7.3

[vadim]

Hello @Julie_Meikle,

Thank you for reaching out — no worries, this is a very common situation and we’ll keep this as clear as possible.

You’re correct on one point: Tailscale cannot be installed directly on a Nucleus (including Nucleus A).

For ARC to work with a Nucleus A, you have three supported options:

• Port forwarding on your router (most common)
• VPN at the router level (advanced)
• Tailscale entry node on any other device in your network

Let’s focus on the simplest option first.

Option 1: Port Forwarding on a BT / EE Router (Recommended)

Step 1: Find the ARC port in Roon

On your Mac:

1. Open Roon
2. Go to Settings → ARC
3. Leave this screen open (you’ll come back to it)

You’ll see a message like ARC Not Ready — that’s normal for now.

Step 2: Log in to your BT / EE router

1. Open a web browser
2. Go to: http://192.168.1.254
3. Log in (details are usually on the back of the router)

Step 3: Set up Port Forwarding

1. Go to Advanced Settings
2. Choose Firewall or Port Forwarding
3. Select Add new rule (or similar)

Enter the following:

• Device: Select your Nucleus A
• Protocol: TCP
• External Port: use the port shown in Roon → Settings → ARC
• Internal Port: same number
• Internal IP: automatically filled if you select the Nucleus

Save/apply the rule.

Step 4: Re-check ARC

1. Go back to Roon → Settings → ARC
2. Wait ~30 seconds
3. The status should change to Ready

If it does — ARC will now work outside your home network.

If you’d like, you can reply with:

• a screenshot of Roon → Settings → ARC, or
• confirmation that the port rule was saved

and we’ll double-check it with you step by step.

[Julie_Meikle]

Fantastic. It now works. There was a rule, but adding this has enabled it. Thanks

[vadim]

Hello @Julie_Meikle

Thank you for the update. We are pleased to hear that we were able to resolve this issue. Enjoy your music!